


Things Learned

by TheManOfManyFandoms



Series: The Adventures Of Chaotic Siblings: Toph and Zuko [3]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, This is probably the fluffiest thing I’ve ever written and it’s still angsty, Toph Beifong Needs A Hug, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko (Avatar) Gets a Hug, Zuko (Avatar) Needs a Hug, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, he’s a crusty bitch, how do I tag this?, she gets one too, this one is kind of an experiment tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 18:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25910140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheManOfManyFandoms/pseuds/TheManOfManyFandoms
Summary: Toph and Zuko learn quite a bit from eachother. These are a few notable things learned.
Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Toph Beifong & Zuko, but like background - Relationship
Series: The Adventures Of Chaotic Siblings: Toph and Zuko [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825504
Comments: 256
Kudos: 797





	1. Colors Pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Zuko? What’s red?”
> 
> ”It’s a color,” the firebender says blankly and Toph almost laughs. 
> 
> Punching his arm gently, she clarifies, “I know that dumbass. I mean, what is it like?”
> 
> Zuko’s quiet for a long moment, before he asks, “Has nobody ever explained colors to you before?”
> 
> ”No,” Toph replies honestly.
> 
> She feels Zuko nod thoughtfully. ”Red’s a lot of different things, but I think, most importantly, it’s passion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys, gals, and nonbinary pals! This is the start to another fic and, honestly, I’m really excited for this one. I hope you guys enjoy! Drop some Kudos or a comment to let me know what you think :)

It starts during a quiet moment at the Western Air Temple. Toph feels Zuko seating himself near her, heart nearly jumping out of his chest, like it does much too often. She knows that one of the others, probably Katara, had most likely said something to him. He generally surreptitiously seeks shelter with the earthbender, when he gets anxious. Not that _he_ would ever admit to it, but that’s fine, because it’s not exactly Toph wants to voice out loud either.

She has no idea _why_ he’s chosen to trust _her_ of all people, but she’s not going to call him out on it. Despite what some people think, she’s not _cruel_. “Hey, Sparky,” she says quietly.

He flinches a little at her voice, but rasps out, “Hi, Toph.” 

He sounds worse than usual and Toph’s not sure what that means. Instead of picking at it, she quietly voices a question that’s been bothering her lately, “Zuko? What’s red?”

”It’s a color,” the firebender says blankly and Toph almost laughs. 

Punching his arm gently, she clarifies, “I _know_ that dumbass. I mean, what is it like?”

Zuko’s quiet for a long moment, before he asks, “Has nobody ever explained colors to you before?”

”No,” Toph replies honestly, “Not really. My parents tried. Once. They, uh, didn’t exactly explain it well,” frustration bleeds into her voice, as she continues, “They’d just give me a flower or some shit like that and say, ‘that’s yellow’, or ‘that’s red’, which is all well and good, if you’ve ever actually _seen_ colors before.” 

She feels Zuko nod thoughtfully, “I-I kind of get what you mean. After, uh,” he hesitates, “after I got the scar, I lost my sight in that eye. It was... difficult... to be taught how to fight one eyed, by people who’ve never gone without full sight a day in their lives.”

Toph nods and, after a moment, asks again, “So, what _is_ red? I always hear that it’s the color of the Fire Nation, but I don’t know what that _means_.”

”Red’s a lot of different things, but I think, most importantly, it’s _passion_. It’s- it’s anger and rage, but it’s also love and warmth. It’s like fire, a bit. The last few Fire Lords have twisted it’s meaning, into something scary and cruel, but, it’s so much more than that too,” Zuko sighs, as he trails off into a murmur.

Toph mulls this over for a silent moment, before she leans over to nudge Zuko with her elbow, “Thanks, Sparky.”

”Anytime,” he says, a smile in his voice. Toph privately thinks that she just might take him up on that offer.

—————

The secondtime it happens, Zuko and Sokka have returned from the Boiling Rock, with a few new people in tow. Toph can tell immediately that something’s up with her heater. He’s even more skittish than usual and he flinches nearly every time Hakoda speaks. 

After spending nearly an hour, feeling Sparky’s heartbeat hammer like a spooked ostrich-horse, Toph’s thoroughly sick of it. “Hey, Sparky!” She calls and frowns when he flinches again, “I’m bored and you still owe me piggy back rides for my feet, so give me one.”

Zuko laughs a little at her imperious command, heart slowing a bit for the first time since he had returned. “Okay,” he agrees easily, getting to his feet.

”Are you sure you want to go off with _him_ , Toph?” Katara asks and, _dammit_ , there goes Zuko’s heart again.   
  
“Yes, I’m sure,” Toph growls, leaving no room for argument. Katara merely humphs and turns back to where she had been talking to her father. Zuko lets her onto his back and, though he grumbles, she can tell that he’s enjoying it as much as she is. 

When she has him set her down, they’re well out of earshot of the others and his heart is finally slowing some. “What’s green, Sparkles?” Toph asks, for lack of anything else to say.

To her surprise, Zuko doesn’t seem startled by the seemingly odd question at all. “Green is... well, green is the color of the Earth Kingdom. I think green is life and energy. It’s vitality and youthfulness. It seems like a very light-hearted color, if- if that, uh, makes sense,” Zuko trails off awkwardly, seeming somewhat embarrassed.

Toph, on the other hand, feels, frankly, delighted. “That sounds fucking awesome,” she smiles at Zuko, “Thanks, Fire Fingers!” On a whim, she throws an arm around him and briefly squeezes him, in a one armed hug.

He freezes and, for a moment, Toph thinks she’s made a mistake. But, then, Zuko relaxes and lets himself wrap an arm around her and cautiously squeeze her back. His heart is slower than it has been all day and Toph can’t help but grin.

—————

The next time it happens, they have just arrived at Ember Island and Zuko feels _distant_ , in a way. He barely seems to notice the rest of the group and he avoids one of the rooms like the plague. He even goes so far, as to make Sokka switch rooms, when the Water Tribe boy chooses it for his own. The others don’t seem to understand, but Toph thinks she does.

She waits, until she knows that everybody else is busy, to call, “I’m going to go down to the beach and practice my sandbending a bit. Anyone wanna come?”

The others give her negative answers, except for Zuko, who, almost too eagerly, says, “I’ll come with you!”

Toph agrees easily and, soon enough, they’re walking along the beach, listening, or, in Zuko’s case, watching, the ocean lap at the shore. “It sounds nice,” Toph comments.

”Yeah, it’s-it’s beautiful,” Zuko agrees, “It’s a really nice shade of blue today.”

”Today? The ocean changes color?” Toph questions, bewildered.

”It depends on how the light hits it,” Zuko explains, “It can look blue, or green, or even gray sometimes.”

“Oh,” Toph responds intelligently, “What’s blue like?”

"Blue is... blue is peace and serenity, but it's also- it's also fury. The kind of fury that feels like ice," Zuko pauses and, though the sand makes _everything_ shaky, Toph thinks she feels Zuko shudder. 

He clears his throat and continues, "The ocean is blue and I think they're very alike. The ocean is peaceful, until it's angered, but, when it is, its rage is terrifying." Zuko's voice drops into a murmur, before he falls silent.

Toph doesn't break the silence. Zuko seems to have been venting a little and Toph understands. She's heard that Azula's fire is blue. 

Shifting closer to Zuko, she presses her arm into his. He returns the pressure and they both turn to face the waves. They stand there together, side by side, simply allowing themselves to breath for one, precious moment. It's one that Toph never forgets.

It's the last true moment of peace either of them gets, before Sozin's Comet hits and everything changes.


	2. Colors Pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph asks for a color one more time.

The next time she asks for a color, is actually only a few days after Sozin’s Comet. Zuko’s still bed-ridden in the healer’s wing, with a star shaped scar on his chest from his sister’s lightning. Toph had flatly refused to leave Zuko and, therefore, is stubbornly sleeping in a bed next to his. 

Because of this, she shoots upright, when Zuko wakes up screaming. “Zuko?” She asks, almost panicking for a moment, because what if someone’s _hurt_ him and she had been right here and not felt it and- she cuts her own racing thoughts off, with a deep breath. _Zuko needs you right now, Toph_ , she snaps at herself, _Get yourself together._

Slowly making her way to the firebender, she gently says, “Sparky?” Now that she’s closer, she san hear his raspy, panicked breathing. “Zuko,” her voice is firmer this time, in the hopes that it might get through to him. 

It does manage to get through to him and he chokes out, “Toph?” He sounds a little shocked and more than a little scared, “Wh-what are you- are you okay?”

Toph can’t help the snort of laughter that leaves her. “I’m fine, Sunshine. Are _you_ okay?” She responds, sitting next to him. Before he can respond, the doors fling open and Zuko flinches hard enough that he knocks into her.

”We heard screaming!” It’s two guards, just doing their jobs, of course, but Toph can’t help but hate them a little right now.

” _You’re_ about to be the ones screaming, if you don’t leave right now,” Toph growls, glaring in their direction. They’re silent for a moment, probably having trouble processing seeing their future Fire Lord having a panic attack, next to a twelve year old, who threatened them.

”If you’re sure you have this handled,” the one who had spoken before dithered for a moment.

”I swear to every fucking spirit, get _out_ ,” Toph hisses threateningly. They get out. “Hey, Sunshine,” she says, turning to Zuko, voice softening considerably, “You alright, nerd?”

”Y-yes, no, I don’t know,” he says, in rapid succession, still breathing much too fast.  
  
“Do you think you can breath with me?” She asks him. 

”Maybe,” he says quietly and that’s the best she can ask for right now, so she rolls with it.

She takes one of Zuko’s hands cautiously, unsure of his response. His immediate response is to stiffen, but he forces himself to relax and, after a moment, he squeezes her hand softly. She squeezes back and tries her best to guide Zuko’s breathing back to normal.

When it almost resembles a healthy rhythm, the firebender murmurs, “Thank you, Toph.”

”Do you want to, you know, talk about it, or whatever the hell you’re supposed to do in a situation like this?” Toph cringes at her own awkwardness. She’s still not very good with feelings.

Zuko laughs a little and, okay, maybe a little embarrassment isn’t that bad after all. “I don’t- I don’t know. It wasn’t really anything in particular, just-” his voice drops a little, as he continues, “my father... and, uh, Azula.”

Toph hums in acknowledgment and considers for a moment, before blurting out, “What’s orange, Sparky?”

Zuko seems almost relieved at this change of subject, as he responds, "Orange is... it's a few things, I think. Sometimes it's calm and relaxed, like a breeze in the summer. Other times it's fear and panic and fire. Fire that's too hot, too close." His tone darkens, before his voice dies completely and he falls silent.

Toph thinks about this for a moment, before nodding appreciatevly. "Do _you_ like that color, Sparkles?"

Zuko's very quiet, for a moment, before he, very softly, murmurs, "No. No, I don't."

Toph doesn't respond. Instead, she wraps an arm around Zuko and squeezes. Zuko returns the one-armed hug and they lean against eachother, both quite exhausted.

"Everything feels different now, doesn't it?" Zuko says quietly.

"Yeah," Toph agrees, stifling a yawn, "It'll be strange not being on the run."

Zuko chuckles slightly, "Spirits, what's _wrong_ with us? Do we actually _miss_ being wanted dead or alive?" He slides down, until his head hits his pillow, as he talks, still laughing a little.

Toph flops down next to him, smirking a little. "I just miss seeing all the stars," she sighs, dramatically wistful.

"I'm not Sokka, Toph," Zuko says, unimpressed. "I _know_ you're blind." Toph sticks her tongue out at him. Zuko pokes her back.

Toph opens her mouth to respond and is promptly interrupted by a jaw-cracking yawn. "Alright, we're going back to sleep," Zuko says firmly and Toph nods eagerly.

"No nightmares," she orders, even as she falls asleep. If Zuko responds, she doesn't know. She's asleep the moment her eyes close and he follows suite soon after. They both sleep more restfully than they have, in a long while, with not a single other nightmare between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter :) If you liked it, feel free to drop some Kudos or a comment!


	3. Friendship Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph helps Zuko learn how to Friend and Zuko is generally confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re goin back in time a little on this one and we’re heading into Zuko’s pov :)

The first time Zuko speaks to Toph alone, after joining the group, he’s entirely thrown off guard by her behavior.

“Hi, uh, Toph, right?” He begins awkwardly, “I just- I wanted to apologize for burning your feet. It was an accident, but I’m so, so sorry for being so irresponsible and-”

“ _Sparky_!” Toph cuts him off sharply and he flinches on instinct. “Sparky,” she says again, “It was just as much my fault, as it was yours. I startled you awake and I get it, dude, that’s not fun. I already forgave you.”

Zuko gapes, because _what_? He had expected anger, or hatred, or, at the very least, bristling disappointment that would leave him struggling to breath. “I-” Zuko stammers uncertainly, “You’re not- you’re not mad?”

”Nah,” Toph grins, in that slightly feral way that is already becoming familiar, “Accidents happen, man.”

And that, _that_ , is what steals the breath from Zuko’s lungs. Because it’ssomething that his own family, Iroh and Ursa excluded, had _never_ , in sixteen years, understood. And now, some kid he’d never even met before, so easily forgives him for an accident that had _hurt_ her. “O-oh... okay,” he says intelligently. 

She laughs a little, but it feels much more good-natured than the way Azula and Ty Lee used to laugh at him. When she reaches towards him, with her hand curled into a fist, Zuko has absolutely no idea what she’s about to do. He expects pain, at the very least, but, when her fist makes contact with his shoulder, it’s much softer and friendlier than he had imagined.

”I don’t give a shit what Sugar Queen says, you’re pretty alright, Sparkles,” Toph says, with another smile and, with that, she walks off and leaves Zuko gaping.

—————

The night after Zuko and Aang return from visiting the Sun Warriors, Toph actually seeks _him_ out. “So, dragons, huh?” She asks casually, sitting down beside him.

”Yeah,” Zuko breathes, “It was... amazing. Terrifying and awe-inspiring at the same time.”

”That’s pretty damn ballsy, Sparkles,” Toph grins and presses her shoulder against his. He stiffens, because he’s not quite sure what he’s supposed to be doing. Toph doesn’t roll her eyes at him, though, she doesn’t laugh and she doesn’t mock him.

Instead, she just stays exactly where she is and keeps talking, as if she isn’t doing something very much _not normal_. “I mean, badgermoles are pretty badass, but I’ve gotta admit, dragons might be a _little_ cooler. But just a little.” 

Zuko smiles cautiously and, tentatively, presses his arm against Toph’s in return. When she only gives him a small, almost encouraging, smile, he actually feels himself relax. “Dragons _are_ pretty damn cool,” he agrees, after a moment of silence.

Toph laughs and, punching his arm, says, “You’ll have to show me some of your badass firebending soon, now that you got all powered up.” She leaves to talk to one of the others, after that, but Zuko can’t help but feel much lighter than usual.

—————

Toph is upset. Zuko’s not sure _why_ she’s upset, but she’s been glowering and snapping at everyone all day. She had even shouted at _Hakoda_ at one point, and that had scared the shit out of him a bit. When he tries to bring it up with her, she growls, “I’m not upset. I’m pissed off. There’s a difference.”

”Is there?” Zuko finds himself saying, thinking bitterly of his days on the ship. Most of the time, he had been utterly miserable and taken it out on everyone around him.

Toph sighs and kicks a rock, sending it flying. “Maybe,” she mutters.

”Well... do you, uh, want to talk? About whatever’s bothering you, I mean. Or, um, I mean- we don’t _have_ to, but I- maybe it would make you feel a bit better? But, uh-”

Toph takes pity on him and speaks over his rambling, “Sure, Sparky. Why the fuck not.”

Zuko feels himself redden a little, but nods, waiting for her to collect her thoughts. “I’m just... really frustrated, I guess,” she tells him, “Katara and Sokka’s dad is just so... understanding... and I _know_ I shouldn’t be jealous, but I fucking hate that _their_ dad treats me more like a real human being than my _own_ dad.”

A wave of understanding crashes over Zuko and he chuckles darkly, “Yeah, I get what you mean. I’ve known him for a week and he’s already treated me better than my own father did, in sixteen years.”

Toph huffs and kicks another rock, “Parents fucking _suck_ , so why is he so... _good_?”

”I... don’t know,” Zuko answers honestly, “It doesn’t make any sense to me either.” 

Toph actually laughs, “I guess it’s a little fucked that we’re confused when someone actually loves their kid.”

Zuko shrugs. “I dunno, it’s not like either of us are used to something like that,” he points out.

Toph shakes her head, “You know, I used to yell at people for being nice to me, because I thought they were trying to coddle me.”

”I used to yell at people for the same thing, because I thought they were trying to trick me,” Zuko admits quietly.

Toph grabs his arm and squeezes, “We’re a pair, aren’t we?” Zuko huffs a laugh. “We’re both hot messes, but at least we’re friends,” the earthbender chuckles.

Zuko freezes. “We’re friends?” He asks tentatively.

”Of course we’re friends, dumbass,” Toph smiles at him, squeezing his arm again.

”Oh... good,” Zuko says quietly and Toph’s smile softens a bit.

”I think I’m less pissed off now,” she says after a moment, releasing his arm to punch him on the shoulder.

”Good, I’d hate for you to demolish the temple,” Zuko deadpans.

Toph cackles, “I _could_ , you know.”

”Trust me, I do,” Zuko smirks a little. Toph hesitates for a second, before she throws an arm around him and squeezes. Zuko, returning the hug, thinks that he feels warmer than he has in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this came out a little later than usual, I’ve been feeling a little ‘meh’ lately and it’s made it hard to write, but I think I’m feeling better now. School is starting back up for me on Monday, though, so updates might be slower. I promise I will NOT abandon any of my fics, but I probably won’t update quite as frequently.
> 
> Anyway, I hope ya’ll liked this chapter! Lemme know in the comments if you did! :) i’m not SUPER happy with the ending, but I couldn’t make it better without wrecking the rest of the section, so it’s staying in lmao.


	4. Friendship Pt. 2

Zuko doesn’t turn around, when he hears footsteps behind him. He knows it’s Toph even before she speaks, because maybe the rest of the group are okay with him now, but it doesn’t mean they’ll want to deal with his dramatic bullshit. Toph’s different.

”Hey, Sparky,” she says, voice a little subdued, despite her obvious attempt to make it casual, “You’ve been even more down than usual ever since we got to Ember Island.”

”Sorry,” Zuko says automatically, still just staring out at the ocean from where he’s sitting, with his arms wrapped around his knees. He wants to have the energy to move, to pretend he’s okay, to do _something_. But he doesn’t. He can’t even muster the energy to be wary of letting the others see him like this. _Weak_ , his father’s voice tells him and he shudders.

”For what?” Toph scoffs. Zuko shrugs weakly, turning his head slightly to look at her. “You haven’t done anything wrong, dude,” the earthbender says firmly, sitting next to him. 

”Does someone need me?” He asks, his voice sounding hollow, even to his own ears.

”I’m _worried_ about you, dumbass,” Toph sighs, “We’re all getting worried about you.”

”Why?” Zuko snaps, voice much harsher than he had meant it to be.

Toph isn’t bothered at all by his outburst. On the contrary, she gives him an understanding look, as she softly responds, “Because we _care_ about you, Zuko.”

Zuko flinches and turns away again. “What do you _want_ , Toph?” He asks, feeling himself flush with shame, as tears prick his eyes.

”I’m not going to make you tell me a damn thing,” Toph begins, “I know how shitty it is to be harassed into giving a half truth that just makes you feel worse.” She takes a purposefully controlled breath, before continuing, “I _would_ like to know what I can do to help you.”

Zuko quickly swipes a hand over his eyes, before speaking, “I- I hate being back here.” The admission is soft and quiet, but Toph looks nothing but encouraging, so he dares to continue, “It reminds me of my father and never being good enough and- and lessons that, recently, I’ve realized were _so_ not okay.”

Toph hums in response, “Being removed from a shitty situation really gives you perspective, doesn’t it?”

Zuko responds with a quiet, “Mhm.” His next words are blurted out of him, almost involuntarily, “My father burned half my face off when I was thirteen.” The admission steals his breath, choking him. 

Toph looks _pissed_ and Zuko definitely shouldn’t have told her. “I’m-”

”Don’t you dare even _think_ about apologizing,” Toph snaps. Zuko snaps his mouth shut, eyeing her warily. 

”Your dad’s a fucking asshole,” she says, without a hint of trepidation or doubt on her face.

”So is yours,” Zuko points out.

”That’s true, but it doesn’t make yours _not_ an asshole.”

”What if I deserved it?” Zuko asks quickly. He doesn’t know _why_ he’s pushing her so much, but it’s almost like he _needs_ her to snap and show him where her limit is. Where her, frankly ridiculous, patience runs out and the hatred and vitriol begins.

"There is _nothing_ you could have done to deserve that," Toph growls, voice firm and unshakable.

Zuko falls silent, the brief, panic-induced energy he had gained slipping away just as quickly. _It was cruel and it was wrong_

"It was cruel and it was wrong," he says aloud, voice shaking more than he would have liked.

"Damn right it was," Toph agrees. "If I ever meet your dad, I'm going to kick his ass," she adds, with a feral grin.

"I think I'd like to see that," Zuko tries to smile and is almost surprised, when he is successful.

They fall silent again for a while. "Are- are the others _really_ worried about me?" Zuko asks tentatively.

"'Course they are," Toph says, punching his arm gently, "We all care about you, Sunshine, I _promise_."

"I- I care about you guys too," he says quietly, "A lot."

Toph wraps an arm around him, squeezing tightly. "You're pretty okay for a nerd," she teases, purposefully over-exagerrating the words for Zuko's sake.

Zuko returns the hug, hesitating, before saying, "Well, you're surprisingly alright for an annoying, little pipsqueak." The amused smile Toph gives him, makes his chest glow with warmth.

"Well, you're still a nerd," Toph sticks her tongue out playfully.

Zuko laughs softly, some of the weight on his chest lifting. "I still don't feel very well," he admits.

"That's okay," Toph shrugs, "We can stay here as long as you want. I'm not leavin' you, Sparky."

And, for this one moment, Zuko lets himself believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the part with Zuko reminding Toph that she had shitty parents too, was mostly brought to you by my eternal frustration with “the gaang finds out about the scar” fics, when it’s like:  
> Toph: i thought MY parents were bad, but i’m almost grateful for them now.  
> Like NO. Mental and emotional abuse is just as serious and horrible, as physical abuse and one person’s trauma does NOT have to be diminished for another’s to be valid.
> 
> Aaaaanyway, rant aside, I hope ya’ll enjoyed the chapter! Lemme know how you liked it in the comments :)


	5. Family Pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zuko hides an injury and Toph confronts him about it.

One thing Toph notices, is that Zuko has absolutely no concept of what a proper family is like. To be fair, neither had she, until she had joined the Gaang and suddenly gained three siblings.

However, where Toph had expected them to treat her like she was fragile and needed protection from the smallest of injuries, Zuko is, if anything, quite the opposite. He expects them to, if not _hurt_ him, than, at least, not care if he _is_ hurt.

It’s been a few days since he and Sokka had returned from the Boiling Rock and Toph _swears_ that she can feel Zuko limping, but, the moment he’s actually near any of them, even her seismic senses can’t pick up on the limp. She asks Aang if he’s noticed anything while training, but he denies any knowledge of an injury on Zuko and she knows he’s being truthful.

So, she decides that she might as well confront Zuko directly. It’s what she’s best at, at any rate. “So, Sparks," she begins without preamble, "Were you planning on telling any of us that you're hurt?"

She winces a little, as Zuko's heartbeat becomes much too fast. "Wh-what? I'm- I'm not hurt!" _Lie_

"I _know_ you're lying," Toph reminds him, hating his flinch at her words.

Zuko stiffens and seems about to argue further, before he practically deflates. Sighing, he mutters, "I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I promise I won’t be a bother, or- or anything. I can take care of it myself.” _Truth. The painful, honest truth._

”I never _said_ you’d be a bother,” Toph points out and she can practically feel the confusion rolling off of him in waves.

”Than... why did you ask if I was injured?” Zuko questions.

”I wanted to make sure you were okay,” she says, unable to prevent the undeniably gentle undercurrent to her words.

Zuko’s silent for a moment, shifting anxiously, before he asks, in a too small voice, “Why?”

A rush of empathy, that nearly threatens to knock her off her feet, hits Toph. She tries to word her response in a way that wouldn’t piss _her_ off, had it been the other way around. “Because I care about you, Fire Flake. I wanted to make sure that you weren’t going to hurt yourself more, by ignoring the injury.”

Zuko’s heart does that funny little flip that it does sometimes, when he’s stunned, but pleased. Sadly enough, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to elicit that emotion from him. “I- I appreciate that a lot, I really do, but I’m _fine_.” _Not quite true, but not a lie either.  
_

Something that Toph’s _sure_ the others don’t really notice, is how, even if he’s awkward and fumbling, or stumbles over his words, Zuko’s always so, painfully earnest. “I know you’re fine, but you’re not feeling your best, are you?” It’s not really a question.

Zuko answers it anyway, a defensive edge to his words, “It’s not really anyone else’s business, is it? I’m not going to burden any of you with my-” he cuts himself off abruptly and whatever he was about to say goes unsaid, but is still heard loud and clear.

”Zuko, you’re not _weak_. You’re one of the strongest people I know,” Toph says, almost surprising even herself, with the absolute certainty behind the statement.

Zuko lets out a huff of overwhelmed frustration, before speaking, “Fine. I- I twisted my ankle. But-but it’s okay, I’ve had worse.”

Toph feels her eyes widen, “You twisted your- wait a minute, how are you _not_ limping.” Toph had twisted her ankle once and, as hard as she is to be hurt, she had tried to bend on the hurt foot and it had hurt _badly_. She had had to suck it up and come up with some lie, in order to explain what had happened to her parents. It had been an unbearable couple of weeks, as she had healed, as her parents had insisted on carting her around, as if she were on her death bed.

Zuko winces. “I, uh, I’ve had to learn how to downplay injuries over the years,” he says awkwardly. He hesitates, before elaborating a bit, “My father didn’t- didn’t like me to bother him, with my uselessness and, by the time I was on the ship, it was sort of just... a habit, I guess.”

The words between the lines of this brief explanation tell an unbearably sad story and Toph has the sudden urge to hug the firebender. She restrains herself, however, and puts a hand on his arm, instead. “Nobody here will be angry with you for being hurt, Sunshine,” she says softly.

"I _know_ that," Zuko insists. _Lie._

Toph doesn't call him on it. "Alright, let's go tell Katara, so she can heal you, than."

Zuko flinches hard. "No! She hates me, Toph!"

"Sugar Queen would never deny a patient, Besides, if she's a jerk about it, I'll kick her ass," Toph assures him.

She's not about to let Zuko refuse healing and perhaps he can sense this, because he sighs and tightly says, "Fine."

When they arrive back at the camp, Toph's a little disgruntled to feel both Aang and Hakoda, as well as Katara. Zuko's heart speeds up at the sight and Toph feels him hold himself straighter.

"Hey, Sweetness! Think you can spare some of your time to heal Zuko?"

Katara draws herself up, as if to argue, but, when Toph shoots her a furious glare, she seems to think better of it. "Well, what's wrong?" Katara asks, in a clipped tone.

Zuko hesitates for a moment, shifting from foot-to-foot and, presumably, glancing between Hakoda and Katara. "I- my ankle is just a bit twisted," he says quietly, "I- I really don't want to bother you, but-"

"Oh, just shut up and come here," Katara snaps, causing him to flinch. 

"You didn't seem hurt during training!" Aang says, seeming baffled.

Toph feels Zuko shrug nervously at Aang, as Katara sets to healing the injured ankle. "That's quite impressive, Katara," Hakoda says suddenly. Zuko jumps at the sudden voice and Toph frowns deeply.

"Thank you, Katara," Zuko mumbles, bowing awkwardly, when Katara finishes. Katara grumbles a response and Toph gets the feeling that Zuko's almost constant soft-spokeness and near-subservience are concerning Katara more than she would like to admit.

Toph can tell that Zuko's feeling a bit overwhelmed, so she draws him away from the others, under the pretext of wanting to spar.

In reality, they sit on a, probably dangerous, edge of the temple and dangle their legs off the side, Zuko with his eyes closed, and talk about nothing and everything. The firebender cautiously presses his arm against Toph's and Toph returns the pressure. 

_Thanks'_ and _Your welcome's_ don't need to be spoken aloud. They both understand.

In the end, neither might _truly_ understand family, but they understand _eachother_ and that's good enough for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not to get personal in the end notes, but this was highkey inspired by something that happened to me, that had less of a happy ending. (i really saw Toph and Zuko and said ‘these are my emotional support benders. Lemme just... p r o j e c t’)  
> On a better note, I'm more satisfied with this chapter than I have been in a while. Lemme know how you all enjoyed! Your comments all mean a lot :)


	6. Family Pt.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toph is Upset and Zuko learns how to Conversate (i hope ya'll get that reference, otherwise i'll sound hella dumb lmao)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, ya'll! I'm sorry for such a long wait, school and some personal stuff have been kicking my ass recently, but I think I'm back on track now.
> 
> but I hope you enjoy this final chapter!

It's true that Zuko has pretty much no idea what a proper family is like, but, it's only fair to say, that Toph is equally ignorant, in that regard.

What Zuko _does_ know, is that Toph is upset. What he _doesn't_ know, is how to deal with it. Logically, of course, he knows that he should simply _talk_ to Toph, but, it feels more complicated than that.

Even though he's been getting better with hard conversations, in the six months that he's been friends with the others, but it's still difficult.

At the moment, he's laying face up on the grass, in the courtyard and seeking advice from the Water Tribe siblings. "What should I do?" He questions them.

"Go talk to her and make sure she's okay," Katara sighs exasperatedly.

"Yeah, just talk to her," Sokka advises.

."What do I _say_ to her, though?" He asks, somewhat desperately.

"Just ask her what's wrong," Katara suggests, lips twitching a little, as if she wants to laugh, but is restraining herself.

Sokka has no such reservations and snorts loudly. "You're gonna be _fine_ , buddy," he grins, "Just ask her 'what's up?' and go from there."

Zuko groans and, if he's being a bit dramatic, he thinks he deserves to be a little dramatic every now and again.

\----------

That evening, Zuko finally gathers himself enough to knock on the door of Toph's room, where she's hidden herself. The door is swung open violently and Zuko can feel himself tense.

"What do you want, Sparky? You've been pacing in the corridor for an hour," Toph says flatly.

"I just- you're upset about something and I wanted to make sure that you're okay," Zuko mutters awkwardly, hoping that he's getting his point across without making a complete fool out of himself.

Toph heaves a sigh, but stands aside, in a wordless invitation for him to come in. When she shuts the door behind them, she speaks very quickly, "I got another letter from my parents."

"Oh," Zuko says, understanding flooding through him, "Have you-"

"Yeah," Toph says shortly, "I had a servant read it and it- it's not good, Zuko."

A spike of anger flares through Zuko, "What did they say to you?"

"Well, they used to try and guilt trip me, you know," she puts on a ridiculous high-pitched voice, in imitation of her mother, "'You're breaking our hearts', or, 'Don't you love us', and other bullshit like that." 

Toph pauses for breath, looking both upset and furious. "But this time, they were just downright _angry_. They threw around a bunch of rude words, but 'ungrateful' showed up a lot, along with 'disrespectful, little girl'." She's quiet for a long moment, before whispering, "I hate that one."

"That... _really_ sucks," Zuko says fervently and Toph laughs a little, flopping down onto her bed.

"Yeah, yeah it does," she agrees. "I've said it before and I'll say it again!" she exclaims, "Parents _fucking_ suck!"

"Hell yeah, they do," Zuko agrees whole-heartedly, seating himself on the floor, leaning against the side of Toph's bed. They're both quiet for a long moment, until Zuko speaks up again. "I can go kick your parents' asses for you, if you want."

Toph laughs, "Nah, if anyone's going to kick their asses, it's going to be me."

Zuko smiles, shaking his head fondly, "That's fair." Another moment passes, before Zuko, very quietly, says, "Toph? You know that you don't deserve them talking to you like that, right?"

Toph's silent for a worrying amount of time, before she sighs heavily and says, "Yes. Yes, I know that. Sometimes, it's just hard to remember that I know that, ya know?"

"Yeah, I _do_ know," Zuko mutters, "That happens to me, sometimes, after the nightmares get worse."

Toph drops a hand over the side of the bed and squeezes Zuko's shoulder, in understanding. "Neither of us have ever deserved any of it," she says firmly.

"You didn't deserve your parents treating you like you were lesser, just because you're blind," Zuko tells her.

"You didn't deserve your dad treating you like _you_ were lesser, just because you're not a jackass," Toph fires back.

 _This_ is something that Zuko's comfortable with and he knows that Toph is too. They've done this a few times, whenever one of them is having a particularly bad day, and the familiarity is grounding.

They shoot oddly agressive reassurances back and forth for a short while, before lapsing back into silence. "I'm feeling a bit better," Toph says finally, "I think I'll go ahead and tell my parents to fuck off tomorrow."

Zuko smiles, "Good. I can help you write it all down, if you want. You _know_ I won't censor you." Toph chuckles a little.

"I'm not exactly great with this kind of thing, but... thank you for always being there for me, Sunshine," she mumbles.

"It's the least I could do, in thanks for everything you've done for _me_ ," Zuko hesitates, "Besides, that's what family's for."

"Yeah," Toph says softly, "That's what family's for." Her next words are even softer, "I love you, Sunshine."

"Love you too, Toph," Zuko returns, smiling.

With this said, they remain there, simply sitting together, for a long time, both feeling quite content, with who they got for a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and this fic as a whole! Thank you all SO much for reading and I'd love to hear what you thought about the chapter in the comments! All of your comments seriously make me super happy and I feel like I don't say it enough lmao.
> 
> (Oh, quick fun fact, this'll be the first time in two months that I don't have ANY on-going fic!) Anyway, I'll see you all in the next fic!


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